No major flood threat to Bihar: WRD

Representative image Patna: A flash flood feared in Bihar ’s Gandak basin following a landslide in Nepal is unlikely to pose a major threat to the state, the water resources department (WRD) said on Sunday, adding that the situation was being closely monitored. The Central Water Commission (CWC) had alerted the Bihar and Uttar Pradesh govts about a possible rise in water levels in the Gandak basin.

It advised officials to remain vigilant and alert people living downstream, noting that the flood wave would lose much of its force before reaching the Valmikinagar barrage. After assessing the situation, the WRD headquarters said the landslide was unlikely to have a significant impact on Bihar, particularly as there had been no rain in Nepal.

However, officials said precautionary measures and continuous monitoring were in place. According to the department, the flood wave would take around six hours to reach the Valmikinagar barrage. Discharge there could rise by 25,000 cusecs from the current 50,000 cusecs to around 75,000 cusecs, within normal limits.

The landslide occurred in Nepal’s Chumnubri area, blocking the flow of water in the Burhi Gandak tributary of the Narayani, also known as the Gandak. The resulting flash flood affected nearby villages, with around seven villages swept away, though no deaths were reported, the WRD said.

The site is around 180-210 km north of the India-Nepal border. Nepalese officials have asked people living downstream along the Burhi Gandak to leave their villages and move to higher ground. The muddy waters flowing into the Gandak have crossed the Devghat area in Nepal, around 80 km north of the Valmikinagar barrage.

The WRD said the river’s water level had risen by 27cm with a maximum rise of 50 cm to 100 cm possible. No rainfall was reported in Nepal.